In the spring of 1778, a massive iron chain—supported by floating log rafts—was stretched across the Hudson River from West Point to Constitution Island to block British warships from sailing north. This bold defensive measure, ordered by General George Washington, played a crucial role in protecting vital American territories and preserving the unity of the colonial resistance.

Join local historian and longtime Palisades Parks interpreter Donald “Doc” Bayne as he brings this dramatic story to life. In this illustrated lecture, Bayne will explain how he uncovered one of the chain's original sources—Peter Townsend’s secret iron works in Sterling Forest—hidden from the British deep in Orange County. He’ll also trace the story north to the Brewster Forge in New Windsor, the namesake of today’s Forge Hill Road, where additional links were forged. Discover how the Great Chain helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War—and how its legacy lives on in our local landscape.